Device for use in connection with drilling tools



March 23 1926.

` H. M. MACOMBER ET AL DEVICE FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH DRILLING TOOLS 4 'dl/d fia/77 Flled July 25, 1923 Parental Mai. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES ieiiqfnla'rl OFFicE.v

H/ARKEY M. MACOMBEB, OF DOWNEY, ANDA HOMER H. PYRON, OF FULLERTON, v CALIFORNIA. l

nnvmn non USE IN coNimcrIoN WITH :inname Toons.

4Application led July 23, 1923. Serial No. 653,088.

To all whom t may concern.'

E for use in connection with drilling tools,

or the like, to facilitate lowering them into a hole.

In drilling wells with the rotary method the` drilling tools, that is, the drill pipe, bits, etc., are frequently removed from the `hole. The drilling tools being heavy are vmore or less difficult and dangerous to handle, this being particularly true when the drill pipe is long. To facilitate lowering the tools into the hole valve devices have been applied to the tools to prevent fluid,

.standing in the hole, from entering and i flowing upwardly intd the drill pipe. When tools are thus floated into the hole some fluid has to be pumped into the drill pipe from its upper end to prevent the pipe from collapsing due to the fluid pressure von the exterior of the pipe. The valve devices heretofore used have been constructedl so that they are normally held closed by a spring 'and are forced open when fluid is pumped downwardly in the. drill pipe for;

purpose of circulation. ,i

Itis an object of this invention to provide a simple, improved device applicable to drilling tools to prevent flow of fluid into the drill pipe from the hole and to allow flow of fluid downwardly through the drill pipe and into the hole.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the character specified which operates to prevent flow of fluid upwardly into the drill pipe from the hole and which allows free flow of fluid downwardly through the drill pipe to discharge into the hole.

vAnother object of this invention is 'to provide a device ofthe character specified which is simple and reliable and which embodies .no springs or like 'parts such as are li-able tdlbreak or fail.

''.eginother object of the invention is to provide a device of the charactery specified line 2-2 on Fig. 1;

with means whereb a certain amount of fluid may be allowe to enter. the pipe from the hole so that` it is unnecessary to pump fluid into the pipe to prevent collapsing.

It is another object of this invention to provide a. device of which operates automatically to prevent the flow of fluid into the pipe from the hole and allows free flow of fluid d downwardly l l through the pipe, one moving part. It is another object of this invention to provide a device of the character specified that can be easily and quickly applied to and which contains only ordinary drilling tools without altering or modifying them 1n any way.

It is another object of thisy invention tol provide a device of the character specified which can be assembled as a unit suitable for application to standard drilling tools without altering or modifying the tools in any way.

The various objects and features of our invention will be best and more fully understood from the following detailed description of a typical preferred form of the invention, throughout which descriptiom ref.

the characterspecied erence is had to the accompanying drawings,

in which:

Fig. l is a sectional view showing a well with typical drilling tools being lowered into it, the drilling tools being provided with the device of the present invention Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view ofthe drilling tools at the point where they are provided with the device of this invention, being a view take asindicated by the Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail transverse sectional view of the device. provided by our invention, being a viewtaken as indicated by the line 3 3 on Fig. 2; and

Fig. et is an enlarged detailed transverse sectional View of the device provided by our invention, being a view taken as indicated by the line 4-4 on Fig. 2.

In the drawings numeral 10 designates a well, and numeral 11 designates a casing set in the well in the usual manner. In Fig. 1 of the drawings we have illustrated a typical bit 12 being lowered into the wel] through the casing 11 on a string of drill pipe 13. Ihe drill pipe 13, in accordance with standard practice, includes a plurality of, sections 11i-of pipe, joined by suitable` couplings l5, to form stands which are joined by suitable tool joints 16. In handling the drill pipe it is usually separated or disconnected only at the tool joints 16. In the drawings we have illustrated -an ordinary or standard tool joint, comprising a male section A, and a female section B. The male section A is formed in its upper end with a screw threaded socket 17 to receive the end ofa section 14 of drill pipe, while the lower end of the female section B is formed with a screw threaded socket 18 to receive the upper end of a section 1l of drill pipe. l On the lower end of Section A there is a large tapered projection or pin 19 adapted to screw thread into a correspondingly tapered socket 20 in the upper end of the section B. The threads of the pin 19 and socket 20 are preferably coarse and such as to allow the two sections to be screwed tightly together, as we have clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. In accordance with standard practice the sections A and B of the joint have openings 22 extending longitudinally through them to conduct fluid between the joined sections of drill pipe.

For the purpose of this invention we will use the term drilling tools, to designate the drill pipe, the couplings, the tool joints connecting the stands of drill pipe, the bit 12, or any like or similar parts that may correspond or be equivalent to these parts..

The device provided by our invention may be applied to the drilling tool-ls vin various manners, it being particularly suited, however, for application to the tools at a tool joint 16, or like point. In ordertto illustrate and make clear a typical application of our invention we will herein describe it applied to or at a tool joint 16, it being understood, however, that we do not intend such description to be construed as limiting the invention to this or any other such specific application.

The device provided by our invention includes, generally, two parts, a valve member 25, and a seat 26 for the valve Ymember 25. The seat 26 may be provided on a ring 27, applied or mounted in a drilling tool, for instance, a section of a tool joint, so that it passes any fluid that may flow through the drill pipe. Thevalve member 25 is, in accordance'with our invention, arranged below the seat 26, so that it is movable vertically into and 4out of cooperative engagement with the seat. The valve member 25 is free, being entirely disconnected from any other part. In the form of the invention illustrated in the drawlngs, the valve member 25 is in the form of a ball, of such size as to fit in the 4drilling tool with substantial clearance and yet be caught and carried by flow of fluid through the tool. In practicewe prefer to make the ball hollow so that it is comparatively light and,

therefore, readily moved by the flow of fiuid vthrough the tool. lVhen the valve member-is in the form of a ball the seat 26 is, of course, ground or otherwise finished to receive it so that it will operate to effectively closevthe opening through the ring when in engagement with the seat.

IVe provide means 35 for retaining the valve member 25 in position so that it will properly cooperate with the seat 26. This retaining means may include a bar 28, or the like, arranged tranversely vin the drilling tool at a pointspaced somewhat below the valve seat so that it will prevent the-valve from dropping downwardly toofar in the tool or drill pipe.

In accordance with the pre l`erred form ol our invention we provide a carrier 30 which includes a body 31 to earryt-he ring 27, valve part 25 and retaining means for the valve member, and a fiange 32 for supporting the body in a drilling tool. 'The body 31 may be in the form of a cylinder, ot' such size as to slidably fit into one ot' the drilling parts, vfor instance, into the open'- ing 22 in one ot' the sections of the tool joint. In practice thev ring'- 27 may be formed integral with the body '31 or it may be screw threaded into the body, as we have illustrated inthe drawings. IVhen the body 31 is to be arranged in the upper or male section A of' a tool joint the ring27. is preferably screw threaded into the body so that it is removable from the lower' end ot'- the body. VIVhen the valve member 25 is of the carrier, as we have illustrated in the drawings. The particular retaining means illustrated in the drawings includes two retaining bars 28 arranged transversely ot' each other and carried by aring 36 mounted in the lower part of-the body 31. The ring 36 is preferably screw.threaded into the lower end of the body 31 so that it can be removed to allow forremoval of the valve member and seat ring 27. Y A

The flange is provided on the body 3l of the carrier to engage or cooperate with a tool part or parts, sothat it holds the` body inthe desired position. In the form of the invention illustrated in the drawings the flange 32 is an annular flange, formed at one end ofthe body, in the present case-at the upper cnet-of the body, and projects llo from the bodyJin' a-manner'to 4be heldbeof the pipe section carried in they socket 17 and a shoulder 38 in the joint section A suitable for application to ordinary at the inner end of the socket 17. If it is desired to mount the body of the carrier in the drill pipe section rather than in the section of the tool joint the flan e 32 may be provided at the lower end o the body so that the body projects upwardly from it instead of downwardly. This arrangement allows the body to be made larger as the opening in thefdrill pipe section is larger 'than the opening in the tool joint section.

In accordance with our invention we may provide the device with means for allowing a certain amount of fluid to pass upwardly through the device and into .the drill pipe when the valve is closed so that it will be unnecessary to pump fluid downwardly into the drill pipe to prevent collapsing. This means may include by-pass openings 40 in thering 27 to allow flow of fluid through the ring, although the valve member is in engagement with the seat. The byass openings 40 may be closed by plugs 42 w en it is not desired to have flow into the drill pipe when the valve member is seated. By

' providing a plurality of byass openings 40 the required amount of ow upwardly past the device can be had by opening the proper number of openings and the flow is not'entirely cut ofll in the event that one of the several openings in operation becomes clogged. d

In using our invention it may be embedded or constructed permanently in a suitable drilling tool, or -it may, as we have above described, be constructed as a unit, or standard drilling tools without alteration or modification of the tool. With the form ,of the invention we have above described the carrier 30 isl arranged in the desired tool. joint-section A with the flange in engagement with the shoulder 38 at the time this tool joint section is screw threaded onto the pipe. section 14. When the tool joint section is made tight on the pi e section the device of our` invention is so idly and securely held in place ready. for operation. The tool joint section to which the device is applied may be at the lower-end of the drill pipe, or it may beat any otherpoint that the operator may desire. With the device thus applied to a tool joint section the drill pipe is handled in exactly the same manner as it ordinarily is, that is, the stands may be -assembled .and disconnected in the usual manner withbut reference to or interference with the device. IVhen a drill pipe is being lowered intoa hole with the device of our invention at or near its lower end the fluid from thehole, tending to flow upwardly into the drill pipe, will carry the valve member 25 into seated engagement with the seat 26 and will hold it in this osition so that the pipe is floated into the ole. If one or more of the by-pass openings l40 are opened there will be a certain amount of flow of fluid. upwardly into the drill pipe past the device so that it`will be unnecessary for the operator to fill fluid into the drill pipe to prevent collapsing. lVhen the .drill pipe has been lowered into position and fluid is pumped downwardly into the drill pipe to establish circulation the valve member 25 drops away from the seat .26 opening the passage through the device so that the flow of fluid is not in any way restricted. 'lVth the device constructed as ive have herein set ,forth it can be repaired, that is, the'retain- -ing means, the valve member, or the ring 27, can be removed for the purpose of replacement or repair through the lower end of the body 13, without removing the tool joint section from the drill pipe.

Having described only a typical preferred form of our invention we do not wish to limit ourselves to the specific details herein.. above set forth but wish to reserve to ourselves any changes or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art or fall Within the scope of the following claims.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. In'combination with drilling tools, a seat in the tools, a valve member to cooperate with the seat to prevent flowof fluid upwardly through the tools, and means for allowing some flow upwardly in the tools when the Valve member is in cooperative engagement with the seat.

2. In combination with drilling toolshav-V-l j mounted. in the opening, the ring having a main opening and a by-pass opening through `it, and a free valve member retained in the opening below the ring to be moved into cooperative engagementl with the seat to close the said main opening by upward flow of fluid in the opening.

4. In combination with drilling tools having an opening through them, a seat ring mounted in the opening, the ring having a main opening and a by-pass opening through it, means for closing the by-pass opening, and a free valve member retained in the opening below the ring to be moved into cooperative engagement with theseat to close the said main opening by upward flow of fluid in the opening.

5. A deviceto be appliedkto the fluid passage of drilling tools ineluding,a carrier to be arranged in the passage, a flange on the carrier to he held between adjacent tool parts to secure the carrier in place, a seat in the carrier, and a. valve -freely carried in the carrier below the seat to be moved into cooperative,engagement with the seat by upward flow in the passage.

6. A device to be applied to the uid passage 'of a toolrjoint section including, a. carrier to be arranged. in the passage, means for securing the carrier in the passage, and a valve device operable to prevent ui'iwardfflow of fluid through the passage removable from the carrier throu/gh the end of lthe passage.

' 7. A devicevto he applied to the fluid passage of a tool joint section including, a carrier to he arranged in the passage, a Hange extending from the carrier to be held between a part of the tool joint section and a partconnected to thetool joint section, and a valve device operable to prevent upward flow of fluid through the passage removable from the carrier through the end of the passage.

. In witness that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto subscribed our names this 13th day of July 1923.

HARKEY M. MACOMBER. HOMER H. l PYRoN. 

